Method, System, and Apparatus for Providing Access to Workbook Models Through Remote Function Calls

1. A method for accessing at least one workbook model through at least one remote function call, the method comprising: providing a facility for defining a first workbook model; providing a plurality of input fields for receiving metadata associated with the workbook function; associating the metadata with a workbook function, the metadata comprising a description of the workbook function received from a first input field of the plurality of input fields and a location for publishing the workbook function received from a second input field of the plurality of input fields; providing a first list box identifying each input to the workbook function, the first list box being enabled to associate a first set of workbook cells with each input identified by the first list box; providing a second list box identifying each output to the workbook function, the second list box being enabled to associate a second set of workbook cells with each output identified by the second list box; receiving a request to make the first workbook model available through a first remote function call, the request including data defining the workbook function; publishing the first workbook model, the associated metadata, and the data defining the workbook function to a server computer operative to receive and respond to remote calls for the workbook function; and providing a list of published functions comprising the workbook function and the associated metadata in response to a discovery request.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein including the data defining the workbook function comprises including, within the data, a name for the workbook function.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein including the data defining the workbook function comprises including, within the data, an identity of the first set of workbook cells that are to be utilized as inputs to the workbook function and a name corresponding to each input cell.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein including the data defining the workbook function comprises including, within the data, identity of the second set of workbook cells that are to be utilized as outputs for the workbook function and a name corresponding to each output cell.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising placing the first remote function call to the server computer with at least one input parameter and receiving from the server computer at least one output parameter.

6. The method of claim 4 , further comprising: receiving a request to call a remote workbook function from within a context of a second workbook model; in response to the request, receiving an identity of the remote workbook function to be called, the identity of a first set of cells in the second workbook to be used for inputs to the remote workbook function, and the identity of a second set of cells in the second workbook where outputs from the remote workbook function are to be placed; making a second remote function call to the remote workbook function with the contents of the first set of cells to be used for inputs; in response to the call, receiving at least one output from the remote workbook function; and placing the at least one output received from the remote workbook function in the second set of cells where outputs from the remote workbook function are to be placed.

7. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, will cause the computer to perform the method of claim 1 .

8. A computer-controlled apparatus configured to perform the method of claim 1 .

9. A method for providing access to a workbook function through a remote function call, the method comprising: receiving a workbook, a function definition for the workbook, and metadata describing the workbook function and a location for publishing the workbook function, wherein receiving the workbook, the function definition for the workbook, and the metadata comprises: receiving the description of the workbook function from a first user input field; receiving the location for publishing the workbook function from a second user input field; receiving a name of the workbook function from a third user input field; receiving, from a first list box, a description of a first set of cells in the workbook that are to be used as inputs for the workbook function, and receiving, from a second list box, a description of a second set of cells in the workbook that are to be used as outputs for the function; receiving the remote function call directed toward the workbook function, the remote function call including at least one input parameter; loading the workbook; populating at least one of a first set of cells in the workbook that are to be used as inputs for the workbook function with the at least one input parameter; calculating the workbook; retrieving the contents of the second set of cells in the workbook that are to be used as outputs for the function; and returning the contents as a reply to the remote function call.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising prior to calculating the workbook: determining whether the workbook includes a reference to one of: an external data source and another workbook function; and in response to determining that the workbook includes the reference to one of: the external data source and the other workbook function, querying the data source for any referenced data and populating the workbook with the referenced data.

11. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, will cause the computer to perform the method of claim 9 .

12. A computer-controlled apparatus configured to perform the method of claim 9 .

13. A system for accessing a workbook model through a remote function call, the system comprising: a client computer operative to: provide a facility for defining the workbook model comprising a workbook function, the facility comprising: a plurality of input fields for receiving metadata associated with the workbook function, and a plurality of list boxes for receiving a function definition associated with the workbook function, the plurality of list boxes comprising: a first list box identifying each input to the workbook function, wherein a first set of workbook cells are associated with each input identified by the first list box; a second list box identifying each output to the workbook function, wherein a second set of workbook cells are associated with each output identified by the second list box; receive a request to make the workbook model available through the remote function call, the request including the function definition and the metadata associated with the workbook function and publish the workbook model, the metadata associated with the function definition, and the function definition to a server computer; and the server computer being operative to: receive the workbook model, the function definition, and the metadata from the client computer; provide a list of published functions comprising the function and the associated metadata in response to a discovery request; receive the remote function call including at least one input parameter; load the workbook; populate cells specified in the function definition with the at least one input parameter; calculate the workbook; retrieve contents of a first set of cells specified by the function definition that are to be used as inputs for the function; and return the contents of a second set of cells as a reply to the remote function call.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the function definition defines a name for the function, an identity of the second set of cells that are to be utilized as inputs to the function, a name corresponding to each input cell, and an identity of the first set of workbook cells that are to be utilized as the outputs for the function and a name corresponding to each output cell.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein prior to calculating the workbook, the server computer is further operative to: determine whether the workbook includes a reference to an external data source; and in response to determining that the workbook includes the reference to the external data source, query the data source for any referenced data and populating the workbook with the references data.